Hello, guy. I would like to weigh in on this, if I may.

First, I am not terribly comfortable going in to my story publicly, but if you would like to PM, I would be willing to discuss speak more personally. If this was a throwaway questions, I'm wasting my time here; but, if you are serious I think I have some insight you should consider.

That said, you are not alone wondering if WLS as an easy out or--as you said--a "shortcut."

In a sense, yes, it is a shortcut. However, WLS is a shortcut in the way that swimming across a lake is a shortcut to walking the shoreline around to the other side; it can be done, but the stakes become much, much higher...

To that end, I would like to offer a few thoughts.

1. Understand the commitment you are making. This decision to have WLS is much like dropping in to a blind ski run (if you are unfamiliar with this term, it refers to a ski run where you can not see a clear line from the peak to the bottom--you know it gets there, but you can't see exactly how--so you have to have faith that you can figure it out en route). In other words, you are either all in, or should not have started at all. There is no going back, so be damn fucking sure you know what you are doing. You can not decide halfway that you are in over your head...

If you can justify #1, there are a few more things to consider--- actually, more realistically, you need to justify these next points before you can make the commitment above.

1. Your age. I am not going to tell you (I will heavily hint) that you are too young. At your age, you are in a prime position to find inspiration, enjoyment, camaraderie, friendship in activities that will help you get in shape.

Ideas: Take a group of friends hiking in a nearby state park

Bike to school/work/movies/that rager that is happening a Heather's house this Saturday because her parent are in the Barbados for the weekend.

Take your dog to the dog park, throw your dog's tennis ball, race your dog to fetch his tennis ball, repeat until you get to it before he does, scoff and tell him he is a lazy dumb, but you love him anyway. Good dog.

Trust me, these activities are more fun than your WLS post-op consultants will suggest... and I give them to you free of charge (for now).

Back to some serious shit....

1. The cost. If you are anything like I was at 16, you do not fully understand monetary commitments. This is not an attack at you, but you came here asking advice, so this is something you (or your grandparents) should know ahead of time.

-If you do not have insurance that covers this, you are looking at MAJOR bills--can be in the orders of tens of thousands of dollars, all told. I do not know your financial background, but--especially at your age, where you still have other options--be sure you understand exactly what you are asking you grandparents (or if it is your own money somehow) to pay for.

-You also need to look beyond the initial surgery. First, for many people, when they lose weight, the skin becomes...loose. When this happens, it can be very disheartening for many people who have worked SO hard and lost all that weight (no easy task), but are still embarrassed by their bodies. Guess what the only fix is... bing, bing, You got it! MORE SURGERY! But wait, there's more!: it is now considered elective surgery (like a tit job) and ain't nobody gon' pay for that shit but you. So, throw another 10 grand (and significant recovery time--we are talking 6 weeks bed rest in severe cases) in the expenditure column and this shit is getting pretty fucking real, right? We aren't done.

1. The mental aspect. Many people say that obesity is an illness. It is. But, don't ever expect the same sympathy you would see given to a cancer patient (or--in many cases--even hardcore drug addicts), but it is still a real thing. That said, my point is not to excuse anyone from not taking care of their bodies (drugs/food/catvideos). Rather, it is important to be aware that your problems aren't necessarily solved when your BMI hits the "normal body weight" segment of the index curve. Your body is not meant to lose weight at the irregularly rapid pace that WLS can facilitate, and if you are not very careful, or do not have the right support structures, the physical effect of your body returning to center so quickly can send your mental state way out to the fringes. It is not uncommon that WLS recipients (especially those that use it as a first resort--which, at 16, you would fall in to this category, IMO) have an extremely hard time adjusting in a healthy way.

WLS can be a GREAT option, but it is not always the RIGHT option. It is not easy. It is not without risk. Surgery is not the ending chapter of a horror story you can't wait to be done with, it is the opening chapter of a mystery novel, which you do not know the ending to.

I wish you the best